International Game Technology PLC announced that its new Powerbucks Blackjack game is now available to online players in multiple jurisdictions in Canada. The theme links to IGT’s Powerbucks omnichannel wide-area progressive (WAP) jackpot prize pool, Canada’s largest jackpot connecting land-based, online and mobile games.

“IGT is excited to build on its omnichannel jackpot leadership in Canada and the success of our Powerbucks portfolio by delivering a new evolution of one of the most popular casino card games. Designed to deliver the ultimate gaming experience, IGT’s Powerbucks Blackjack offers players the opportunity to win life-changing jackpots and provides operators with another compelling content option to help drive strong performance results,” said David Flinn, IGT SVP Canada, EMEA, and LATAM Gaming Sales.

Bringing a player-favorite card game to a new level, IGT’s Powerbucks Blackjack offers a state-of-the-art user interface with vibrant animations, language localization, and a sleek design for an engaging experience.

Launched in 2016, IGT Powerbucks slots is the world’s first omnichannel WAP game that links the jackpot prize pool between gaming machines found in land-based casinos with digital-based games in Canada. Since their debut, Powerbucks slots have paid over 50 jackpots of 1 million dollars or more across the country.

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As expected at the end of the first quarter, Loto-Québec had an excellent second-quarter performance. Therefore, halfway through fiscal 2024–25, the corporation is in an excellent position with better results over the same period last year and still in line with its forecasts. It is thus on its way to reaching its net income target for the current year.

For the second quarter, which ran from June 25 to September 30, 2024, Loto-Québec posted total revenues of $814.2M (+16.1%) and a net income of $421.6M (+18.5%). Overall, for the period from April 1 to September 30, 2024, its total revenues reached $1.504B (+6.5%) and its net income was $771.3M (+4.7%). It is worth noting that lottery winners have received nearly $720M in prizes since the current fiscal year began.

Quotes from the President and CEO

“If we’re in such a good position halfway through the fiscal year, it’s thanks to the work done across all our sectors over the last few months. We obtained excellent results despite the economic context, reinforcing our confidence that we’ll reach our net income annual target. Remember that 100% of our profits are reinvested in the community,” said Jean-François Bergeron.

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“Responsible commercialization has remained a priority in everything we offer. We’ve created an enhanced program—Wise Play—to consolidate our actions in this field. We proudly launched it in mid-September, along with a campaign raising people’s awareness of the importance of setting limits. Among other things, through this program, we can present a unified message so that a game remains a game.”

Cumulative Results by Sector

For the period from April 1 to September 30, 2024

• Lottery product sector revenues amounted to $474.2M.

• Casino and gaming hall sector revenues were $608.9M. This sector is once again on the way to a record year.

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• Gaming establishment sector revenues totalled $432.5M.

Quarterly Highlights and Social Contributions

For the period from June 25 to September 30, 2024, the lottery crowned 28 new millionaires, bringing the total of new millionaires since the beginning of the fiscal year to 50.

On September 10, Lotto Max became more generous than ever. Its maximum jackpot increased from $70M to $80M—no Canadian lottery had ever awarded such an amount. A few days later, the record $80M jackpot was won in the September 17 draw, and one of the two winning selections had been purchased in Québec. An Outaouais resident took home half the jackpot with a play he bought online.

The Loto-Québec responsible gambling website had a makeover as part of the launch of the enhanced Wise Play program. It presents content such as information to help players better understand the notions of chance and odds, valuable tips to manage their gambling, and ways of getting help if needed. The website can be reached at wiseplay.ca.

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The Collection Loto-Québec is proudly celebrating its 45 years this fall. To mark the occasion, some thirty of its works were showcased at the end of September in the Voir bleu exhibition, which was entirely curated in-house and shown in the Collection’s new exhibition space at the corporation’s head office.

Loto-Québec was honoured to be a presenting partner at the celebrations surrounding the 150th anniversary of Parc Jean-Drapeau, home to the Casino de Montréal for over 30 years. The iconic park hosts several major events, some of which are part of the Rendez-vous Loto-Québec.

BetMGM, a leading iGaming and sports betting operator, announced a new partnership with Push Gaming, a B2B online gaming industry supplier. The first phase of the partnership brings some of Push Gaming’s top slot titles to BetMGM Casino in Ontario. In 2025, pending regulatory approval, BetMGM will be the exclusive partner for Push Gaming in the US.

Some of Push Gaming’s most popular slots, including Retro Tapes, Big Bamboo, Razor Returns, and Wild Swarm 2 are now available at BetMGM Casino and Wheel of Fortune Casino in Ontario, with more top titles arriving soon. Retro Tapes won Gambling News’ Most Watched and Most Streamed Slot Award in 2023. Retro Tapes immerses players in a late 20th-century-themed atmosphere with state-of-the-art graphics and sound design.

“Push Gaming’s exciting slots resonate with players and elevate the iGaming experience. We are proud to partner with Push Gaming and add their popular slots to our online casinos in Ontario which offers players a vast variety of over 3,000 titles,” Oliver Bartlett, VP of Gaming Product & Content at BetMGM, said.

This deal is a landmark occasion for both brands, signalling Push Gaming’s first-ever market entry with BetMGM, one of the leaders in the online casino industry in the province. The combination of BetMGM’s industry leadership with Push Gaming’s innovative, mobile-first approach positions both companies for continued success and growth. Ontario experienced an increase in total wagers to $18 billion (CAD) during the second quarter of the 2024-25 fiscal year according to iGaming Ontario (iGo), with online casinos accounting for an 86% share of the province’s total wagers.

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“This is a proud moment for the team at Push Gaming as this partnership is the culmination of an incredible amount of hard work. Having some of our biggest games available to BetMGM players, one of the industry’s largest names, is a milestone in our evolution as a developer and we’re incredibly excited at the potential of our partnership. As well as being committed to creating the best slots the industry has to offer, it is also our priority to ensure that content is available to as many players as possible, in tandem with the very best operators, globally. Working with BetMGM fits those goals perfectly and the ensuing long-term closer cooperation across North America that this will bring gives us an amazing foothold in key regions,” Fiona Hickey, Chief Business Development Officer at Push Gaming, said.